


Shall I Sing For You

by passionately_curious



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-19
Updated: 2013-12-19
Packaged: 2018-01-05 04:42:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1089740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/passionately_curious/pseuds/passionately_curious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Capitol has reinstated the tradition of Christmas and gift giving. Katniss must find a gift for Peeta Mellark that will even their score.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shall I Sing For You

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to misshoneywell (peetaspenis) for organizing this wonderful holiday PiP. And thanks to wollaston (alonglineofbread) for being an amazing beta. Happy holidays!!

Katniss let out a huff as she sat next to Madge Undersee at lunch.

"What's wrong?" Madge asked in her quiet voice.

"Stupid Secret Santa."

Madge nodded. Nothing else needed to be said about it. That year, the Capitol had decide to bring back a few holiday traditions from before the Dark Days. The Capitol citizens absolutely loved the changes - a day specifically set to overindulge followed shortly by one designed to give and receive presents. The news stations had been raving about it for months, praising President Snow for his wisdom and bravery to bring back such traditions.

Those who didn't live in the wealth and opulence of the Capitol found the new traditions to be another stressor in their thin lives. They were forced to watch the elite stuff their faces on 'Thanksgiving' while the citizens of the districts were starving. They were told to "buy gifts" to give to their neighbors when they could hardly afford basic necessities. And now this - this silly Secret Santa that the teachers were implementing in the schools.

Right at the start of the month, students were told to draw a name of one of their classmates from a bag. Many Seam kids got other Seam kids, reducing the stress for them. But not Katniss. No, Katniss drew the name of a Merchant. A Merchant she already owed too much too. A Merchant who never stopped looking at her like she was some disgusting pig begging for a handout. She drew Peeta Mellark.

The point, the teacher said, was to get them a gift special to them. They had gone to school together since they were five and, with the exception of a few unlucky tributes, had spent more time with one another than anyone else. They should know things about each other that would aid the process. But Katniss didn't know anything about Peeta Mellark that would be a worthy Christmas present. And she had put a lot of work into it, scribbling down bits of information about him as she remembered. _He's a wrestler. He works at his family's bakery. His shoelaces are always double knotted._

None of that helped her.

And now she was running out of time. They were going to exchange presents Friday afternoon, before class let out, and Katniss still had nothing to give him.She wished she had known about this stupid tradition before the winter frost took over and destroyed all the berry plants out in the woods. They would have made for perfect ink for him to draw with. Maybe should could write him a letter telling him that when it was warmer, she'd get him the gift. _That's a stupid idea_ , she thought, knowing full well she'd forget about it and then he'd never get a gift. And as against this as she was, it wasn't fair that he wouldn't get a gift.

She knew he liked squirrels, or at least his family did, but how would he react to opening a parcel and finding a squirrel carcass. Everyone would probably laugh at him. Which means they'd really be laughing at her. Because no way would anyone else gift a squirrel. She had a few of her father's heirlooms left from when he died but what would Peeta Mellark do with a shaving mirror? Or an old song whistle? Maybe she could convince someone who had a Seam student to switch with her. At least then she could just pick something up at the Hob, fabric or ribbon or a chunk of paraffin.

She asked Gale about it Thursday morning, when they were checking snare lines before school. Gale snorted and started ranting about how stupid the entire holiday was. Katniss couldn't even get him to calm down enough to think of ideas. By the time they trekked to school, he was angry and sullen and his bad mood had transferred over to her. Nothing about the day would lift her mood and by the time she sat through the entire day of school, listening to other students whisper about their presents for their Secret Santas, she was tempted to just not show up at all the next day. Screw Peeta Mellark. At least then she'd have more time to think of something. Or have him forget that he didn't get a present. It's not like he'd make a big deal of it. At least, she hoped he wouldn't.

No. He wouldn't. Because he never made a big deal about the bread when they were younger. He never even tried to bring it up again. He was never part of the group that often pointed and laughed at her measly scrap of lunch everyday. Or ever made fun of her threadbare clothes. Really the fact that he was so nice made it all so much worse because if he were any other Merchant kid, she wouldn't feel bad about giving what will undoubtedly be an abhorrent gift.

Her mother didn't allow her to miss school the next day, even though she still doesn't have a gift. _Goat cheese it is_ , she supposed, swiping an extra bundle from their icebox. She wrapped it in a sprig of holly and tied it with a piece of string. A Seam kid would view the cheese as a real treat, but something told her a Merchant wouldn't have the same response. Especially one like Peeta whose family ran the bakery that likely made the most decadent pastries in all of Panem, according to the Peacekeepers. A single hunk of goat cheese would be nothing compared to what his family received from the Capitol to bake with. She checked the clock on the wall and realized she had enough time to slip to the edge of the woods to check for any fruits or nuts that survived the frost.

Katniss found a small cluster of chestnuts and stuffed her pockets with as many as she could hold. Chestnuts and cheese didn't really go together, but maybe his father could think of something. Or he could eat them separately. As this point, she didn't have time to stop by the Hob to trade either gift for anything else, so they'd have to do. Once at home, she swiped a white cotton cloth her mother used for bandages and wrapped the cheese and chestnuts into it, tying it shut with a string bow.

The walk to school with Prim was silent. Prim was lucky and got a girl in her class for Secret Santa, so Katniss just bought a handful of ribbons for her little sister to give away. Each step made Katniss' stomach drop, knowing the cheese and chestnuts wouldn't be an acceptable gift. She wondered if it would be worse to give him nothing. It'd be more expected for a Seam girl to not provide a gift. She waffled back and forth and didn't realize they were at school until Prim wrapped her bony arms around her and wished her luck.

The gift exchange was scheduled for that afternoon, though none of the students could think of anything else the entire day. Katniss watched the clock diligently, hoping the teacher would forget or the lesson would run late and she could leave before giving out her present. But as soon as the clock struck 3:00, the teacher clapped her hands and announced that all work would cease for the day. Katniss watched as the other students gleefully made their way to their Secret Santas and watched in hopeful anticipation as gifts were opened.

Peeta was surrounded by his typical Merchant circle of friends and didn't seem to even notice that he hadn't gotten a present yet. Instead, he laughed and joked with them over their gifts, including Delly Cartwright who got a pair of black socks that were clearly meant for a guy. Luckily, the socks were from another Merchant boy who offered to take them back, claiming one could never have too many pairs of socks. Katniss was envious of their easy back and forth, their ability to shrug off their makeshift presents to one another. The bag of chestnuts and cheese sat in her lap and she fiddled with the string.

If she could get Peeta away from his friends, maybe she could give him his gift. Or even drop it off on his desk and no one would notice her. _That's what I'll do_. She stood and silently made her way around the room, stopping only to see what Madge had gotten – a figurine of a girl ice skating. As Katniss got closer, she could hear bits of pieces of Peeta and his friends' conversation.

“What'd you get, Peet?” The butcher's son asked.

Peeta shook his head. “Nothing yet.”

The other boys laugh. “Maybe your Secret Santa has an 'inappropriate for school' gift to give you.”

“Especially if she's a Seam girl,” another ribs. “That'd be the best present she'd have to offer.”

The girls around him giggle and make kissing faces. Katniss stopped in her tracks as Peeta's face flushed. _Had he done the math? Did he know that it_ _was  _ _a Seam girl who had his name? A Seam girl who didn't have much to offer him?_ Her stomach flopped when he finally glanced up, crooked smile on his face, eyes latching onto hers. _He figured it out._ And when his friends stopped laughing and looked over in her direction, she realized they had too. She dropped the bundle and sprinted out the classroom door.

There was an old oak tree behind the school that she didn't hesitate to scale. Even without leaves to hide her, she knew no one would think to look for her up there. And she could wait until class got out, slide down to pick up Prim without having to deal with Peeta Mellark or his friends. It was cold up in the tree, since she ran from the room without grabbing her jacket, and there was no block from the frigid wind. She had survived worse, like when she was trapped in the forest with Gale well into the night as they waited out a pack of wild dogs. She curled her body up as tight as she could and closed her eyes, mentally counting down the time until she could go home.

“Katniss?”

She peered down at the body that was roaming around outside calling for her. His floppy blonde curls stuck out in the grey winter like a dandelion.

“Katniss?” He was right below her now, calling out into the air, not thinking to look up. In his hand, he held the cloth bag she dropped on the floor.

“Yeah.” She croaked out softly.

He looked up and his blue eyes sparkled as they caught hers. “You ran off before I could thank you for your present.”

She shrugged. “It was a stupid present.”

“Not if it came from you,” he answered quietly.

“What do you want?” She snapped.

His eyes dropped. “Well, um, you left before I could give you your present.”

“What present?”

He held up a small _Mellark's Bakery_ box and waved it at her. “I'm your Secret Santa. I was just...too nervous to give you your present earlier.”

She swung her legs down and hopped out of the tree, landing softly in front of him. She accepted the box. Attached to the top was a folded sheet of heavy paper. She opened the paper and gasped – it was a drawing. Of an archer preparing his bow, lips pressed against the taut string, grey eyes focused on the fat rabbit in front of him. Her father. She closed the paper and slid her finger under the seal of the box. Instantly, the savory aroma of cheese and herbs and fresh bread filled her nostrils. “A cheese bun?”

“I thought...well...I mean, I remember you being so excited when you came in with your dad to get one. So I just...thought...I mean...Merry Christmas, Katniss.” He smiled and turned to go back into the school.

“Wait!” She shouted, reaching for his arm. “Wait. This is...this is too much, Peeta. I didn't give you anything like this...”

“I love what you gave me. I never get cheese just to eat, we have to use everything we get for pastries. We never get to eat though unless they stale, though.”

“But it's not enough. I can...I can get you something else. An extra squirrel or something?” Even as the words came tumbling out of her mouth, she wished she could take them back. _Stupid Katniss. An extra squirrel?_

“No, Katniss, really. You don't owe me anything else.”

“I do,” she answered, her fingers running over the drawing. He gave her a memory that she hadn't realized she even needed. “Please, Peeta. There must be something...” her mind went back to what he friends suggested. _An inappropriate for school gift_.

He was quiet for a moment, clearly debating if he would ask for something. “Well, there is one thing, I guess. Though it's probably silly.”

“Anything. Really.” She reached out and touched his hands with her fingers.

He swallowed hard and looked up at her. “Would you...um...would you sing a song for me?”

“A song?” She hadn't sang in years, not in public anyway. Sometimes she sang a lullaby to Prim when she couldn't sleep, or to herself when she was doing chores inside the house. It was a strange request, especially since she didn't know Peeta even knew she knew how to sing. And to request it specifically in return for the precious drawing. “Uh. Yeah. Yeah, I-I-I could do that.”

His entire face lit up. “Really? I mean...you don't have to, I know it's stupid but it would-”

She felt her face mirror his. “Yeah. No, I could sing...a song for you. What, what song?”

“I don't care,” he laughed. “Anything, I guess. I don't...whatever you'd want.”

A laugh bubbled inside of her. He reminded her of the children who pressed their faces against the sweet shop. She thought of a song her father used to sing around this time, a song that he said came from before the Dark Days.

“The holly and the ivy,

When they are both full gown,

Of all the trees that are in the wood,

The holly bears the crown.

O, the rising of the sun,

And the running of the deer

The playing of the merry organ

Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly and the ivy,

When they are both full gown,

Of all the trees that are in the wood,

The holly bears the crown.”

She paused. “There's more, to the song but I don't remember it. That was the only part my dad sang...”

“It was beautiful, Katniss. Thank you.”

Katniss ducked her head. “Well, it wasn't much.”

He chuckled. “No, it was great.” His eyes scanned and his grin grew wider. “Listen.”

“What am I listening for? Oh.” She gasped as she heard the tune continue on through the sky. Mockingjays. They had picked up her song and were repeating it back to her. “Wow. I've never...I've never heard them do that for me before.”

He reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze. “Maybe it's a sign that you should sing more often.” Before she knew what was happening, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. It was brief, she nearly missed it happening, but it warmed her body in a way no fire or blankets could. He intertwined her fingers with hers and began to pull her back toward the school. “Merry Christmas, Katniss Everdeen.”

She glanced down at their hands. “Merry Christmas, Peeta.” 


End file.
